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The co-founders of the well-known ice cream brand Ben & Jerry's has announced how corporate owner Unilever stopped the introduction of a new Palestine-themed ice cream flavor.

Ben Cohen, that established the business alongside Jerry Greenfield, announced how he plans to personally create this new product within a personal series highlighting causes Ben & Jerry's was barred from addressing publicly.

Ongoing Conflict Involving Creators and Corporate Owner

This latest announcement deepens the ongoing conflict between the internationally recognized dessert company and its corporate parent, the British consumer goods giant that acquired Ben & Jerry's for over two decades.

Both founders have asserted that Unilever and their ice cream division the Magnum brand unlawfully blocked Ben & Jerry's from "maintaining its activist principles".

Watermelon Flavor as an Emblem for Support

Mr. Cohen revealed via social media how he is creating an innovative watermelon-based sorbet, requesting public suggestions for naming options plus additional components.

“I'm doing what they were prevented from doing,” the founder declared in a cooking set. “I'm making a watermelon-based frozen dessert that calls for permanent peace for Palestinians and calls for addressing the harm that occurred in the region.”

The watermelon has become a symbol for support for Palestinians because of its colors, which match those of Palestine's national banner – the distinctive four-color pattern.

Historical Activism plus Recent Developments

In 2021, Ben & Jerry's ceased sales of its products in territories occupied by Israel, leading to Unilever transferring their Israel business over to a local licensee, thus allowing continued sales in disputed territories.

The new product line will be developed under Mr. Cohen's personal brand, the socially conscious ice cream brand that originally established several years back to support former US presidential candidate Senator Sanders via the flavor "Bernie's Back".

Leadership Shifts plus Future Plans

The founder stated how he will develop additional frozen dessert varieties focusing on concerns that Ben & Jerry's was prevented from speaking about openly due to Unilever.

This development comes after co-founder Jerry Greenfield stepped down from the company in September, following many years with the organization, mentioning worries regarding how its independence had been compromised following corporate moves to restrict its social activism.

Previously, Ben Cohen stated how "Jerry has a really big heart and this conflict with our parent company was breaking it."

"My heart compels me to keep working inside the company to advocate for corporate autonomy ensuring that it can actualise the social mission, the values that it was founded on while upholding for over 40 years," he told media outlets.

• Parent company restrictions regarding political advocacy
• Personal flavor creation from company founders
• Watermelon flavor as social statement
• Ongoing tensions among corporate ownership and social mission